


Pride

by Bunidesu



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Sugawara being a good Senpai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 19:39:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13255251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bunidesu/pseuds/Bunidesu
Summary: In which Yamaguchi worries and Suga helps (sort of).





	Pride

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sunshineara5 on Discord.](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Sunshineara5+on+Discord.).



> This is my piece for the Haikyuu + Ultra Secret Santa. :0c I was your secret Santa Sara! Let me know if you have an A03 account so I can tag you properly!

There was something about practicing by himself that Yamaguchi found unnerving.  He could, of course, practice with his senpai he could always use the help and Suga-senpai would always be glad to toss to him. 

But it wasn't quite the same.

He planned to spend his break practicing on his serves with Hinata while the orange haired boy would practice on his receives. The plan, which was then thrown out the window at Hinata's crashing the Shiratorizawa training camp.

Shimada was happy to help Yamaguchi with perfecting his jump serves, even going as far as giving him advice to try to help him get over his 'stage fright'. But there was only so much Shimada could teach him.

Kinoshita-senpai was another option, although though he hadn't played in a game this season yet, he still had invaluable experience behind him. The older pinch server probably wouldn't mind either as he was just as restless as the rest of them to get on the court.

But even still. The other first years were getting training from other coaches and players at other schools and when they came back they'd still get help from their own senpai. It just wasn't fair.

Yamaguchi snapped out of his musing when a ball he served went a tad lower than he meant and hit the net plopping down on his side of the court. The ball innocently rolled a few centimeters towards him while Yamaguchi stared at it. 

He should've been happy for them, he really should. Kageyama was going to a training camp with people from all over Japan. While Tsukishima had been invited to a training camp held by Shiratorizawa of all places. And even if he wasn't invited Hinata still got the chance to join Tsukishima at the Shiratorizawa camp! While he was here, still practicing alone with just the ball and his serves.

Maybe he was just being melodramatic, he didn't have to be alone. And as unrealistic as it was he didn't want to see his senpai pitying him because he was the only first-year who wasn't special enough to be chosen to go somewhere.

' _ Nope. Gotta kill that thought. I’m decent at serving at least. _ ' Yamaguchi picks up the ball, spinning it between his hands. It would help no one for him to think like that, especially after telling Tsukki off about pride the way he did.

He stops the ball and tosses it up, eyes focused on the ball as he runs up and jumps the satisfying feel of his hand hitting the ball only second to seeing the ball hit its target.

Just because he wasn't some sort of genius like Kageyama or had monster stamina like Hinata didn't mean he was down and out. He would practice his serves until his arms fall off and until his legs turned to lead.

He goes to the other side to retrieve the ball, once again spinning it in his hands. He tosses, and as he does the run-up he hears the doors to the gym open. This time the ball hits the top of the net, throwing the momentum off enough that it drops in a spot where it would easily be received in a game

It's his own skill (or lack thereof) to blame and not the person standing at the door, as if it were a real game there would be much more to distract him then a mere door. He turns to greet whoever walked in, rubbing the back of his neck feeling embarrassed at them seeing the obvious screwup. He was then greeted by Suga smiling at him, looking a bit amused.

"When Daichi asked me to lock up for the night, I'd assume it'd be empty. I didn't expect to see anyone in the gym this late with Hinata and Kageyama gone."

Yamaguchi blinks and looks out the window and was surprised to see the darkness outside. Practice had officially ended at 4 and taking into account how dark it was and how heavy his legs felt he must have been here for hours.

"O-Oh I didn't even realize it! What time is it? I hope my mom isn't worried, I told her I'd be a little late but that was a while ago." Suga holds a hand to his mouth to cover the snickers sneaking out at his kouhais distress. Snickers that move to a full-on laugh when Yamaguchi attempts to send him a glare. 

"Don't mind, don't mind. If your mom asks just say you were doing training with your senpai. She might not be as upset if she knows you weren't alone." Yamaguchi nods and hurries to take the net down, and put up the ball he was using. Suga waits for him by the door as he goes to the clubroom to change into his regular clothes. 

There's only 3 missed calls on his phone when he checks so he calls her as he leaves assuring her that yes he was still at the gym, yes he was headed home now, and no he wasn't alone his senpai was with him. That was enough to soothe her worries, for now, he sighs and slips his phone into his pocket.

Leaving the gym he hesitates for a moment and looks back at his senpai who had just got done locking up for the night. 

"Oh! Are you still here? You didn't leave something in the gym did you?" Suga questioned and honestly Yamaguchi didn't know why he was still here either.  But then his mouth opened on its own accord.

"How do you deal with it?" The impromptu question clearly caught Suga off guard as much as it confused him. "I-I mean. You're the only third year that doesn't play. Doesn't that bother you at all?" Yamaguchi winces internally at the hastily asked question. Of course, it bugged him, and here was this little first year rubbing it in his face that-

"Well. Volleyball is a team sport and as long as the team is doing well then I'm happy." Yamaguchi has to stop the grimace from appearing on his face. He'd heard this speech before and was not in any mood to hear it again. "Yea I know-"

"...Is what I probably should say as your senpai. But as a player, I'll tell you the truth." The statement caught Yamaguchi off guard, but Suga continued as if he didn't hear Yamaguchis' interruption.

"Of course it bothers me. It's my last year, we're finally going to nationals and, knowing how stubborn Kageyama can be, there's a chance I won't be subbed in at all. We finally get to nations after being called 'flightless crows for three years. And it's pretty likely that I'll never be able to stand on the same court as Daichi and Asahi when we get there."

Suga looks down at his hands clenching and unclenching them."It's frustrating, to know I'm the only one of us who won't be on the court. But." Suga looks up at him, a determined smile on his face. "I 'deal with it' by practicing.  I practice and practice until I find something only I can do. And then? I do it nonstop, and I make it mine then when the time comes?" His grin turns wily. 

"I blow everyone outta the water teammates, rivals and all."

He reaches over and pats Yamaguchi on the shoulder twice.  "You gotta find something only you can do and then perfect it. So work on your serves, work on them over and over. Until one day you're able to do service ace after service ace until you win us an entire set."

Suga spins Yamaguchi around before he can respond and pushes his back making him stumble a bit. "But! For now, you need to go on home. We still have practice tomorrow, it's getting pretty late. You should get going before your mom starts worrying. "

Yamaguchi takes a few steps, fixing his gym bag on his shoulder before turning his head to look back at the other. "Suga senpai?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks."

With a new solid determination in his mind, Yamaguchi headed for home, already planning his training for tomorrow. Even if the other three were monsters, he'd claw up to their level step by step.

He will not be left behind, he has his  _ pride  _ after all.


End file.
